Moving towards a more comprehensive social welfare systemWASHINGTON, March 24, 2014 – The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$21.2 million credit for the Social Protection... Show More + Administration II Project (SPAP) in Armenia. The project will support the Government of Armenia in improving social protection service delivery and strengthening analytical, monitoring and evaluation functions of the agencies delivering social protection benefits and services.Armenia has consistently reformed its social service delivery, emphasizing efficiency and targeting among other priorities. These efforts need further enhancement to cope with the protracted and high unemployment, poverty and vulnerability which disproportionately affect women. In response to the challenges, Armenia has chosen a model of functional integration of four existing agencies responsible for pensions, social assistance, employment and disability certification. Under the first SPAP, the above servic Show Less -

MR. DONNELLY: Thank you very much. And thank you everyone for joining the call. My name is John Donnelly. I'm the Communications Advisor for Jim Kim, President of the World... Show More + Bank Group.We'll set this up first with a statement from Dr. Kim here in Washington. Also on the line though, in Moscow, just after the IDA Replenishment Conference, is Sri Mulyani Indrawati who is chair of the replenishment negotiations, and also the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the World Bank, as well as Joachim von Amsberg, the Vice President for Concessional Finance. They'll be available for questions after Dr. Kim gives his statement. Over to Dr. Kim.DR. KIM: Thank you, John. I'm extraordinarily pleased to announce that, at our IDA replenishment conference in Moscow just a few hours ago, countries pledged a record $52 billion dollars for IDA, the World Bank's fund for the poorest countries. This pledge is a historic commitment Show Less -

BRUSSELS, June 25, 2013—The economic costs and social impacts of climate change threaten the prosperity of the Europe and Central Asia region. But well-designed climate action can bring numerous... Show More + benefits, while also being cost-effective. A set of three World Bank reports launched today in Brussels with the European Commission focus on the ‘here and now’ of policies to fight climate change.In 2010, a heat wave in Russia may have contributed to more than 50,000 deaths. In 2012, droughts destroyed over 50 percent of crops in Kazakhstan, 25 percent in Russia, and 20 percent in Ukraine. These weather events have been linked to climate change and are expected to occur more frequently in the future.In recent years, some countries in the Europe and Central Asia region have been slow to respond to this challenge. The region remains the most energy-intensive in the world – using 50 percent more energy per unit of output than the global average. Fossil fuels comprise 88 pe Show Less -

Not only did the Government take measures to sustain the public spending critical for the poor, it also stepped up the reforms in the social protection system to improve its efficiency and make it better... Show More + targeted. The Family Benefit Program has been revised by the social security services, which tried to identify new families in need of support, while removing ineligible ones from the system. As a result, targeting of poor households increased from 67% in 2008 to 76% in 2010.The number of FBP recipients has grown by 250 in just one year in the Arabkir District Branch of Social Services. Adrineh Nikoyan, Head of Arabkir District Branch says: "We identified new families facing urgent problems affecting their livelihood - families that are in dire conditions."Improving and streamlining the information systems at the social services agencies is another achievement the Government can pride itself with. In the past, people who needed state support often had to pay multiple visits a Show Less -

MR. MILLS: Well, thank you very much for joining us for this closing press conference. Our participants will each make an opening statement and then we'll take... Show More + your questions. If I can ask everyone to please turn off your mobile devices or put them to vibrate, we would appreciate it. Chairman Belka. MR. BELKA: Thank you. As we are late, I am not going to be very descriptive about the meeting of the Development Committee. You know the agenda. The discussion was very rich, centering around the social safety nets, the private sector involvement in growth initiatives, as well we discussed modernization of the World Bank. However, one thing that is obvious, it took so long because all the delegates took the opportunity of this Development Committee meeting to express gratitude and adm Show Less -

Washington D.C., April 20, 2012 –The developing world’s progress is seriously lagging on global targets related to food and nutrition, with rates of child and maternal mortality still unacceptably high,... Show More + says the Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2012, released today by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).Recent spikes in international food prices have stalled progress across several of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the report says.GMR 2012: Food Prices, Nutrition and the Millennium Development Goals reports good progress across some MDGs, with targets related to reducing extreme poverty and providing access to safe drinking water already achieved, several years ahead of the 2015 deadline to achieve the MDGs. Also, targets on education and ratio of girls to boys in schools are within reach.In contrast, the world is significantly off-track on the MDGs to reduce mortality rates of children under five and mothers. As a result, these goals will not be met Show Less -

MR. MILLS: Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us for our World Bank Group press conference for the 2012 Spring Meetings. Joining me this morning is the President of the World Bank... Show More + Group, Robert Zoellick, who will have an opening statement and then take some of your questions. If I could please ask everyone when they ask a question to identify themselves and your organization; and once again, I am sure you have been asked, but if we could have our mobile devices switched off or to "vibrate." So, President Zoellick. MR. ZOELLICK: Thank you, Rich. Welcome, and thanks to all of you for coming. This marks my last Spring Meetings as the President of the World Bank Group, so I would like to begin with a few words of thanks to the Ministers who have supported us and worked with us; to our Executive Board, who have labored hard to help our Management team to modernize the important multilateral institution; to the excellent Senior Manageme Show Less -

Washington, April 16, 2012 — World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick today congratulated Dr. Jim Yong Kim for being chosen to become the 12th president of the development institution and offered... Show More + his support in ensuring a successful handover for July 1. “I am pleased to work with Jim Yong Kim during the transition. He is an impressive and accomplished individual. Jim has seen poverty and vulnerability first-hand, through his impressive work in developing countries. His innovations in health-care have helped to save numerous lives. As President at Dartmouth College, Jim has had to take tough managerial and financial decisions while running a large, multidisciplinary organization. His rigorous, science-based drive for results will be invaluable for the World Bank Group as it modernizes to better serve client countries in overcoming poverty.” Show Less -

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2012 - Dr. Jim Yong Kim today released a statement in response to his selection by the World Bank's Executive Directors as 12th President of the World Bank: “I am honored to... Show More + accept the Executive Directors’ decision to select me as the next President of the World Bank Group. I am delighted to succeed Robert Zoellick, who has served with excellence and distinction during the last five years, and I am grateful to the Bank’s member countries for the broad support I have received. I have spoken with Minister Okonjo-Iweala and Professor Ocampo. They have both made important contributions to economic development, and I look forward to drawing on their expertise in the years to come. It is befitting that I conclude my global listening tour in Peru. It was here in the shantytowns of Lima that I learned how injustice and indignity may conspire to destroy the lives and hopes of the poor. It was here that I saw how communities struggle to prosper bec Show Less -

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2012 - The Executive Directors met today to select a new President of the World Bank Group. The Board expressed its deep gratitude for Mr. Robert B. Zoellick’s outstanding leadership... Show More + and his dedication to reducing poverty in its member countries, the core mandate of the World Bank Group. The Executive Directors followed the new selection process agreed in 2011 which, for the first time in the Bank’s history, yielded multiple nominees. This process included an open nomination where any national of the Bank’s membership could be proposed by any Executive Director or Governor, publication of the names of the candidates, interviews of the candidates by the Executive Directors, and final selection of the President. The Executive Directors selected Dr. Jim Yong Kim as President for a five-year term beginning on July 1, 2012. The President is Chair of the Boards of Directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the Internation Show Less -

Policy makers under pressure can get preoccupied with the fixation of the moment. For the eurozone, that idée fixe has been “the firewall”. How big is big enough? Who contributes and how?Now that the eurozone... Show More + finance ministers have exhausted themselves with a multilayered package of hundreds of billions of euros, the debate will go global at this week’s spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The next preoccupation will be how many more hundreds of billions of euros should be pledged to the IMF. It will be Firewall II: the Sequel.I beg to differ. Not with firewalls exactly, but with the preoccupation.The survival of the eurozone now depends on Italy and Spain. They are the countries that are too big to fail – or to rescue. Extraordinary action by the European Central Bank has lowered the interest rates that Italy and Spain pay on their debt, but not solved their problems.In one sense, the much-badgered Germans are right. The fates of Italy and Spain depen Show Less -

NATIONAL STATISTICAL SERVICEREPUBLIC OF ARMENIAYerevan, November 29, 2011Press releaseMain Findings of the 2010 Integrated Living Conditions SurveyThe report Social Snapshot and Poverty in Armenia prepared... Show More + by the Republic of Armenia National Statistical Service (NSS RA) is aimed at assessing the changes in the social situation and living conditions in Armenia between 2008-2010. This issue is the twelfth in the series of similar reports produced annually by the NSS RA. The main objective of the report, based mainly on the 2010 Integrated Living Conditions Survey (ILCS) data, is to inform the public about the poverty level and social situation in the country.Starting from January 1, 2007 to January 20, 2012 the ILCS has been co-funded by the RA State Budget and the US Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funded Millennium Challenge Account-Armenia Program (MCA-Armenia).Over the last five years MCC’s experts provided guidance on alignment of ILCS population counts with offi Show Less -

Floods in Thailand add further uncertainty. Food crisis in the Horn of Africa continuesWASHINGTON, November 1, 2011–Global food prices remain high and volatile, hitting the poorest countries hardest and... Show More + adding to the strains facing the global economy, according to the World Bank Group’s new Food Price Watch released ahead of the G-20 Summit in Cannes, France. While the Bank’s food price index has dropped 5 percent from its February 2011 peak and dipped marginally in September by one percent, it remains 19 percent above its September 2010 levels.“The food crisis is far from over,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick, who has urged the G-20 to put food first. “Prices remain volatile and millions of people around the world are still suffering. The World Bank has been working closely with the French Presidency of the G-20 and our partner international organizations on actions to protect the most vulnerable from the dangers of food price volatility, while also addressing some Show Less -

MR. KIRCHER: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for coming today to this briefing on the Europe and Central Asia Region which we will refer to as the "ECA Region." In terms of materials,... Show More + we'll have a press release at the end of the session as well as a copy of this new book on rising food and energy prices in the Region, and that will be at the table over there. We will also have the transcript as soon we can get it out to you in the Press Room. For those of you who would like to listen to the Russian translation, it is on Channel 2. Let me introduce the speakers. Ted Ahlers to my right is Director of Operations and Strategy for the European and Central Asia Region. To his right is Yvonne Tsikata, who is Director of Poverty Reduction and Economic Management in the ECA Region. Ted and Yvonne will both speak, and then we will open it up to a Q&A session. And just one last reminder—if you can please silence your cell phones. Thank you.&nb Show Less -

Sharm el-Sheikh, January 18, 2011 – To strengthen and enhance collaboration in the areas of economic and social development in the Arab World, the League of Arab States (LAS) and the World Bank Group today... Show More + signed a memorandum of understanding at the Second Arab Economic, Social and Development Summit being held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.Amr Mousa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States said he welcomes the memorandum of understanding as it is related to the objectives that the League of Arab States is trying to achieve, namely. promoting economic and social development in the region and overcoming the obstacles facing economic integration among the countries of the region.Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mahmoud Mohieldin, Managing Director of the World Bank said that the institution will continue to exert every effort to assure its responsiveness to country’s development needs as well as address priorities specified by Arab countries that strengthen economic integration.He ad Show Less -

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2010—The Emerging Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region will face a slow recovery from the global economic crisis in the year ahead and countries facing tight fiscal pressures should... Show More + take care to target social spending on the most needy and vulnerable, the World Bank said today at a press briefing at the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings.“Countries of Emerging Europe and Central Asia were hit the hardest by the global economic crisis and are likely to be the slowest to resume economic growth,” said Philippe Le Houérou, World Bank Vice President for the Europe and Central Asia Region. “Growth in the Region, which had peaked at about 7 percent in 2007, fell to a negative 6 percent in 2009. 2010 is going to be a tough year for the Region with growth projected at around 3 percent. The prospects for 2011-2013 are only slightly better. Rising joblessness is pushing households into poverty and making things even harder for those already poor.”Emerging Europe and Ce Show Less -

IDA CREDIT: US$28 millionTERMS: Grace Period= 10 years; Maturity Period= 20 yearsPROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is the third project under a four-year World Bank program that will assist the government with... Show More + the implementation of its Poverty Reduction Strategy Program (PRSP). The credit will help sustain the country’s economic growth and poverty reduction efforts by providing budget support and moving ahead with the high priority reform agenda identified by the PRSP. Show Less -